1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the photonics field and, in particular, to a fiber array and a method for fabricating the fiber array which is coupled to a lens array to form a collimator array.
2. Description of Related Art
In the photonics field, one of the most significant design challenges today involves the development of a new and improved collimator array that can function properly over a broad range of temperatures. Referring to FIGS. 1A–1E, there are illustrated different views of a 3×3 traditional collimator array 100 which does not function well over a broad range of temperatures. The traditional collimator array 100 includes a lens array 110 and a fiber array 120 (see FIGS. 1A–1E). The lens array 110 (e.g., plano-convex microlens array 110) has formed therein an array of lenses 130 (see FIG. 1B). The fiber array 120 has mounted therein an array of optical fibers 140 (see FIG. 1B). Typically, the assembled traditional collimator array 100 can be one where the lens array 110 is physically separated from the fiber array 120 and the optical fibers 140 (see FIG. 1B). Alternatively, the assembled traditional collimator array 100 can be one where the lens array 110 is physically connected to the fiber array 120 and the optical fibers 140 (see FIG. 1C).
The traditional collimator array 100 in order to work properly should have optical fibers 140 that are aligned with the lenses 130 and remain aligned with the lenses 130 regardless of the environmental temperature. Unfortunately, the traditional collimator array 100 has optical fibers 140 that do not remain aligned with the lenses 130 when there is a change in the environmental temperature. This is because the traditional fiber array 120 is made from a material that does not have the same coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) as the material used to make the traditional lens array 110. If the traditional fiber array 120 has a different CTE than the traditional lens array 110, then as the temperature changes the traditional fiber array 120 contracts and expands differently than the traditional lens array 110 which adversely affects the alignment between the lenses 130 and the optical fibers 140 (see FIGS. 1D–1E). This problem is especially apparent in the larger traditional collimator arrays 100. Accordingly, there is and has been a need for a collimator array that has a fiber array which contracts and expands in the same manner as a lens array when there is a change in the temperature. This need and other needs are satisfied by the collimator array, the fiber array and the method of the present invention.